Tram -, Amsterdam

Unfortunately for the newer visitors to Amsterdam, "The Cirlcle Tram" is no longer runing, BUT still, on your first day "in town" get to the tourist bureau and buy a multiday pass for the Trams. (These are sold in two to five day "amounts") This will allow you to move around the city without having to pull out money constantly. Be very aware that you are in a large city, there are those who think of tourist as a "crop to be plucked whether they are ripe or not", Guard your money well! I was wearing a small "fanny pack" (actually on my hip) with suntan loition, tissues, etc. in it. I remembered to check it almost evertime I got off the tram, so I could ZIP IT UP AGAIN. Yes there arer those who live by "slight of hand" in Amsterdam! Be careful with your MONEY!
Now you have your ticket for the Tram, buy a map and ride the around, noting the stops that have places you want to visit. Once you become "oriented" to the center city and you will be ready to "see the sights"

The tram goes in/out and around the city center. It usually comes every 5-10 minutes, and very convenient way to get to the major locations, i.e, Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank House.

You can buy one time ticket on a tram, but if you know that you'll use tram several times, buy a day-pass or 15 ticket strip at the convenience shops, which will save you money. If you use a strip, make sure to get a stamp on the ticket everytime you get on a tram. 1 trip usually uses 2 tickets on a strip.

In Centraal Station there are several trams that might take you to places around Amsterdam. Amsterdam seems to be a city that as an efficient transportation network. All through the city you will see the tram lines up there (getting on the way of camera and photos), so you might get in and out and move around faster and effortlessly.

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Trams are almost every where in town, at least in the main areas. There are a lot of lines departuring from Centraal Station. We use could use lines 2 or 5 to Vondelpark, where our hostel was.

You have to buy your ticket to the driver or to the person who is in a small ticket booth in the middle of the tram.

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Amsterdam is a compact city where your destination will usually not be at a great distance.
The city seems to be built for bikes, which are probably one of the most convenient and fun ways to get around on the narrow streets. Nearly half of all traffic movements are taken by bike. The tram, boats and bus are the most important mode of public transport.
The ferries do not require fare. (I mean free of charge!)
Amsterdam was built at a time when there were no cars, therefor cars are less suited for getting around in Amsterdam.

Parking has to be paid for in almost all of the city and the rates can be substantial. (€3.50/hour, €45/day, lost card €45/day )
Illegally parked vehicles are clamped (cost for release: around €60). Clamped cars are towed away after 24 hours, at an additional cost of at least €136.

Important Notice: If you cross the road at traffic lights listen for the "clicks", slow clicks = dont cross, fast clicks = cross.

Website :How does that system work?

Tram lines snake across Amsterdam, making it one of the more viable mode of transportation about (apart from walking and the bicycle).

Personally, I did not manage to hitch a ride on it but I managed to survive not getting run over by them :-p

this is the company for public transport in amsterdam.
http://www.gvb.nl/
click on touristguide and you can choose 6 languages for information.

this is a site for people who like trams.
http://www.amsterdamsetram.com/
for more info about the ticketsystem see my other tip
chipcard 2009

The tram is, without doubt, the best means of transport in Amsterdam. It consists of 16 lines that run until midnight, 10 of which depart and arrive at Centraal Station and made a total of 3600 trips per day. The rest of the tram lines in Amsterdam go to the suburbs. For the tourist tram is an excellent means of transport that covers much of central and some of the outskirts of the city. To enter the cars must be made in the driver's door or back door, the rest are just starting. With the I Amsterdam card includes a 72-hour travel card to use for 72 hours on the tram, metro, bus and ferry.

El tranvía es, sin duda, el mejor medio de transporte de Ámsterdam. Consta de 16 líneas que funcionan hasta la medianoche, 10 de las cuales salen y llegan a Centraal Station y realizan un total de 3600 viajes al día.. El resto de las líneas de tranvía en Ámsterdam llegan a los suburbios. Para el turista el tranvía resulta un excelente medio de transporte que cubre buena parte del centro y algo de la periferia de la ciudad.Para entrar en los vagones debe hacerlo por la puerta del conductor o por la puerta trasera, el resto son solo de salida. Con la I Ámsterdam card de 72 horas incluye una tarjeta de transporte para usar durante 72 horas en el tranvía, metro, autobús y transbordadores.

The tram is a handy way to get from the train station to the center of town quickly and economically. A single ticket is .80 Euro and is good for up to one hour of use. Also available are day and multi day passes. If you're walking near the tracks always be on the lookout for an incoming train and quickly move away from the tracks!

If you have to go anywhere in the city centre, the tram is the most convenient means of transport. They are frequent, fast and dependable. You can buy a ticket from the driver, the conductor at the back of the tram, or a machine in the middle of the tram, depending on the sort of tram it is. However, it is considerably cheaper if you buy a 'strippenkaart' from a tobacconist, post office or railway station beforehand, for €5.90 for 15 strips. On most trams you stamp these yourself in the yellow machines in the tram: each journey uses one strip plus a strip for every zone you travel in. If you stay within the centre of town, that is one zone, so you leave one strip blank and stamp the second. If you travel over a zone border, you are travelling in two zones, so you leave two strips blank, and stamp the third.

On some trams there is a conductor: you get on at the back of the tram and the conductor stamps your ticket for you.
Once stamped, a ticket is valid for an hour, regardless of how often you change tram or bus.
Several people can travel on one strippenkaart: you just stamp it for the first person, and then for the second, and so on.

You should hail a tram to indicate you want to get on. Press the button near the door to open it. If the tram has a conductor you must use the rear door to get on. You have to press one of the red STOP buttons inside the tram to indicate that you want to get off at the next stop (although there is rarely a stop where no one wants to get out). Again press the button near the door to open it when the tram has stopped